Subject: purpose driven? |
Bible Note: When I first started to attend my cell group meetings, I did the latter part of Experiencing God as the cell had started the study sometime before I joined them. Of course I was not very keen then for I was searching about who is this God rather than what I should do to experience God. Anyway, as time past, one day my Pastor recommended Rick Warren's book and suddenly the whole church was talking about the book and arrangements were made that we may purchase the book at a discount. Then we were suppose to do the program in the cell groups meetings. My cell leader was also fortunate that we were able to get our hands not only the book but also a teaching video CD of Pastor Rick and workbook as well. We went through the course. At the same time I was also reading "Foundation for righteous living" by Derek Prince. As for me, I believed I grew more ( in the sense of the word) with Pastor Prince's book than the other two books and exercises. Pastor Prince in that book helped me to believe by faith. I believe I understood grace. I believed that the holy spirit is in me guiding my every move. So, why am I so concerned about what I need to do to experience God or to do what's of God's purpose. If God wants me to do something, I will be led to it and I will know if I'm being led cos' many times, situations just arised that I will be doing God's work or asked to help out the church without much thoughts or expectations eventhough I'm very new to the church then. It just come. I found that the exercises in Experiencing God were more of getting me to remember bible verses. As for Pastor Rick's contents I thought they were rather "works" especially if we were to do the exercises of the "question to consider" at the end of every chapter. It comes back to the same question of "do we work for our salvation? If we follow the two books, I think these books tell us to "work". Worse is when we try to do exactly what was written, we may turn out a tired, disillusioned and totally burnt out christian. I may be wrong but I believed that what I need to do is to 1st believe, then love and be loved, fellowship with God, learn and understand the Word and He will do the rest. What I will get, what He wants me to do, the holy spirit will let me know in His "timming". Not that I did not benefit from the two books. I think there were too much hype over them. Just my thoughts. God Bless. |